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Antidepressant Therapy (Imipramine and Citalopram) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Background

The efficacy of antidepressants in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is controversial. No trials have directly compared a tricyclic with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Our aim was to determine whether imipramine and citalopram are efficacious in IBS.

Methods

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group pilot trial with imipramine (50 mg) and citalopram (40 mg).

Results

Of 51 IBS patients randomized, baseline characteristics were comparable among the treatment arms; the majority was diarrhea-predominant. Adequate relief of IBS symptoms (primary endpoint) was similar for each treatment arm. Improvements in bowel symptom severity rating for interference (P = 0.05) and distress (P = 0.02) were greater with imipramine versus placebo, but improvements in abdominal pain were not. There was a greater improvement in depression score (P = 0.08) and in the SF-36 Mental Component Score (P = 0.07), with imipramine. Citalopram was not superior to placebo. Approximately 20% of the variance in scores was explained by treatment differences for abdominal pain, bowel symptom severity disability, depression and the mental component of the SF-36.

Conclusion

Neither imipramine nor citalopram significantly improved global IBS endpoints over placebo.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Dr. Talley, PI). Citalopram was provided free of charge for the study by Lundbeck Australia Pty Ltd. Imipramine was provided free of charge for this study by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty Ltd.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Nepean Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Nicholas J. Talley & Sandy Huskic

  2. Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street S.W., PL-6-56, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Nicholas J. Talley

  3. Department of Psychological Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Christopher Tennant

  4. Department of Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    John E. Kellow

  5. Department of Psychological Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Philip Boyce

  6. Psychology Department, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia

    Michael Jones

Authors
  1. Nicholas J. Talley
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  2. John E. Kellow
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  3. Philip Boyce
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  4. Christopher Tennant
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  5. Sandy Huskic
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  6. Michael Jones
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Correspondence to Nicholas J. Talley.

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Talley, N.J., Kellow, J.E., Boyce, P. et al. Antidepressant Therapy (Imipramine and Citalopram) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Dig Dis Sci 53, 108–115 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9830-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9830-4

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